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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wake — a trail
  5. track — a song
  6. perch — the fish
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. can — a tin
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. toast — bread
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. club — a group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com